Episode Summary:
In the second episode of The PaddlePod, hosts George and Casey explore the state of our rivers, diving (not literally, fortunately) into the pollution levels of rivers across the UK, but focusing specifically on the River Avon. The episode features interviews with Emma Nicol, a campaigning conservationist, about her work fighting for the Avon, and Jon Shepherd, Head of Programmes and Funding at Frank Water, about the work done by Frank Water across the globe.
Topics and Timings:
Introduction: (00:00)
Paddle Location: (00:34)
River Pollution in the UK: (02:04)
Conham Bathing Group with Emma Nicol: (06:32)
Frank Water with Jon Shepherd: (15:10)
Stand Up For Safe Water: (25:37)
Outro: (26:27)
Guests:
Emma Nicol
Emma is a campaigning conservationist with a love for all things nature. With a Master’s in Science Communication, she is a communications specialist currently working as Communications Manager at Blue Marine Foundation, though also volunteers with Conham Bathing Group - a group of incredible women who are fighting to make the River Avon at Conham River Park a designated bathing zone, and a safe place to swim.
Jon Shepherd
Jon is the Head of Programmes and Funding at Frank Water, a Bristol-based charity who are helping improve the quality of drinking water across the globe. Jon has worked on humanitarian projects for over 15 years, in places ranging from Kosovo to New Zealand. Since joining Frank Water in 2014, he has led the expansion of their programmes and work to India, Kenya and Nepal, and is just one of many passionate people at Frank Water.
Paddle Location:
Conham River Park, Hanham, Bristol, BS15 3AW
What3Words: ///scarf.starts.drip
Details:
Park at Conham River Car Park, pick up your boards and head through the woods to Beese’s Ferry Crossing. Here is the perfect location to put in and take out, giving you access to paddle the Avon up (east) towards Hanham Lock and Weir, or down (west) towards Bristol City Centre. Ensure you have your waterways licence to paddle here, and if you plan to paddle past Netham Lock into Bristol Harbour, be sure to contact the Harbour Master’s Office first and be aware you will be subject to a charge of £7 per craft by the Bristol Harbour Office.
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Additional Resources and References:
Frank Water -
https://www.frankwater.com/
; @frank_water_charity (Instagram)
Conham Bathing -
https://www.conhambathing.co.uk/
; @conhambathing (Instagram)
Emma Nicol - @emmas_nicol (Instagram)
Environment Agency Report, October 2021 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agriculture-and-rural-land-management-challenges-for-the-water-environment
House of Commons Audit Report 2022 - https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/8460/documents/88412/default/
House of Lords Report, February 2024 - https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/river-pollution-and-the-regulation-of-private-water-companies/
Rivers Trust - https://theriverstrust.org/key-issues/water-quality
Surfers Against Sewage - https://www.sas.org.uk/water-quality/water-quality-facts-and-figures/
Bowes, M., et al. (2005) Science of the Total Environment, 344 (1-3), pp. 67-81. - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969705001129?casa_token=Unfblj-G18gAAAAA:y3faQ6Mtvsscc7hcb5irgzN91tF5ERL1NKaA8ELezX31BZjCuofLHMw89_6JQCABSpQdjpQc#aep-section-id23
Jiang, S., et al. (2022) Water, 14 (18). - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/18/2813
Sims, N., et al. (2023) Science of the Total Environment, 859 (1). - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722071340
Vieira, L.R., et al. (2022) Chemosphere, 286 (2). - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653521021470
Thanks for tuning in! We’ll see you next time!
- George and Casey
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